The “mother“ of all floral holidays is May 13 — is your department fully capitalizing on the potential that Mother’s Day presents? In this edition, we share some Prince & Prince research findings that indicate there are a lot more big spenders out there than you may realize. This information might prompt you to make some last-minute adjustments to your Mother’s Day marketing plan. In addition, Bill Prescott writes about the kickoff of the sunflower season;... Read more

minneapolis — With snow still on the ground, winter-weary Minnesotans got a glimpse of spring indoors March 25-April 8 at Bachman’s inaugural flower show at the Galleria Shopping Center in Edina, MN. This is the first time Bachman’s and the Galleria have teamed up to produce a reinvention of Bachman’s annual spring flower show. “It’s been exciting to create a new experience,” said Dale Bachman, chairman of the board and fourth-generation member of the family-owned... Read more

According to flower expert J Schwanke, chief executive officer at uBloom.com, “Tropical flowers provide a first-class ticket to your own private tropical paradise — just chop, drop and unwind! They can create a mini-vacation experience — conjuring up images or memories of a tropical getaway or adventure.” ‘Add a Monstera leaf for even more excitement,’ suggests J Schwanke. ‘These large leaves with defined shape and texture are co-stars with tropical flowers.’With... Read more

Every year an area of rainforest the size of New Jersey is cut down and destroyed. The plants and animals living in these areas either die, or must find a new forest to call home. Humans are the main cause of rainforest destruction and they’re cutting down rainforests for many reasons, including wood, agriculture, cattle, paper, road construction, and extraction of energy and minerals. Even though deforestation occurs all around the world, tropical rainforests... Read more

The International Floriculture Expo will meet June 25-27 at McCormick Place in Chicago. Attendees will experience the latest trends in floral retail, hear from thought-leaders in the floral and produce industries, have the opportunity to build relationships with every segment of the supply chain, network with more than 1,500 floral professionals, and source from over 225 vendors from across the globe. Below are some of the highlights for this year’s event. IFE... Read more

While spring often makes consumers think of tulips and iris, it is also when sunflower production returns after a winter break. Sunflowers hold a firm spot in the top 10 of floral sales by variety nationwide; somewhere between six and 10, depending on your data. Bill PrescottSunflowers are native to the United States, and they are the state flower of Kansas. They are one of the most amazing species of flower, grown around the world predominantly for their seeds... Read more

The American Floral Endowment has just created a day of the week especially for the floral industry that’s worthy of its own viral buzz — #FlowerMarketingMonday, according to a news release.      Throughout 2018, a new video promoting flowers will be shared weekly on the AFE Facebook and Twitter pages. The campaign, complete with hashtag #FlowerMarketingMonday, will showcase a new 60-second or less video that... Read more

Six new flower farms have recently become Certified American Grown, joining 45 other certified farms nationwide, according to a news release. These farms vary in size and in the varieties of flowers they grow, from a small urban flower farm to a large greenhouse farm that propagates 90 percent of the nation’s gerberas. The newly certified farms are Grace Gardens in Birmingham, AL; CamFlor in Watsonville, CA; Menagerie Farm & Flower in Live Oak, CA; Harmony... Read more

The American Floral Endowment announced the recipient of the 2018 Paul Ecke, Jr. Scholarship. Melissa Munoz, a Master of Science student at Clemson University, was awarded a $10,000 scholarship ($5,000 for two consecutive years). She will be continuing for her Ph.D. upon completion of her Masters degree, according to a news release. “There were a record number of applications for the second year in a row, which shows the growing interest and need for these... Read more

The Association of Floral Importers of Florida is presenting the Miami Flower Experience to bring together floral buyers, importers and breeders at an exclusive event in the heart of Miami, according to a press release. Hosted by AFIF members, the Miami Flower Experience will be held May 31-June 1 at the Sonesta Coconut Grove Hotel. Included in the two-day event will be guest speakers, educational sessions, an interactive Flower Wall exhibit and the Miami Flower... Read more

The Produce Marketing Association has been hard at work in 2018 growing connections across the global floral supply chain, and next up are the association’s annual Fresh Connections: Floral events in Anaheim on June 7 and Miami on July 12. Attendees include floral buyers from major retail and grocery chains; floral fresh-cut and potted-plant growers, importers, exporters and wholesalers; solution providers and association representatives. “At PMA’s Fresh Connections:... Read more

Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 13, and over 56 million U.S. households are expected to make fresh floral purchases, according to Prince & Prince, market researchers focused on the floral and green plant industries. P&P also projects that the market value of all floral purchasing at retail for Mother’s Day will be approximately $4.4 billion — which is a $200 million increase over their 2017 pre-holiday estimate. Mother’s Day is the largest floral holiday in... Read more

The Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative has received $1 million in funding through the omnibus spending bill approved by Congress and singed into law by President Trump, according to a press release. This number represents the largest single increase in almost 20 years for FNRI, which plays a critical role in generating scientific research on high-priority issues that affect all segments of the industry — including post-harvest technology, water quality,... Read more

Dillon Floral, headquartered in Bloomsburg, PA, has become the newest member of International Floral Distributors, Inc., according to a news release. Established in 1875, Dillon Floral has grown and distributed flowers for five generations. “Adding a wholesale distributor of the quality of Dillon Floral to IFD not only expands IFD’s distribution area, but enhances the overall strength and resources of IFD,” said Chris Berglund, president at IFD, in the release. Dillon... Read more

The USA Bouquet Co., headquartered in Miami, agreed to join forces with the Dutch Flower Group Retail Division, headquartered in Aalsmeer, the Netherlands, according to a news release. USA Bouquet Co. is a manufacturer of domestically made bouquets, with six strategic locations in major ports of entry. It employs 400 staff and sources globally and domestically over 200 million stems of fresh cut flowers per year. DFG Retail is a global supplier of flowers, bouquets... Read more

The Horticulture Research Institute — the research arm of AmericanHort — has awarded Dr. Bridget Behe funding for her research titled “Off the sales floor and into the cart: Analyzing the path to plant purchases.” Her research will look at how consumers make buying decisions with regard to plant purchases, according to a news release. New technologies, such as portable devices that track eye movements, will be used to investigate visual cue selections that lead... Read more

CHICAGO – The 2018 edition of the World Floral Expo was held here at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center on March 20-22. Over 70 exhibitors and growers from the United States, Colombia, Ecuador, and Kenya displayed their flowers and related floral products and services. Buyers and attendees from 30 states were able to view some of the latest flower offerings and meet directly with the growers. With the addition informational seminars, WFE offered visitors a... Read more

This year seems to be going well, florally speaking. Valentine’s Day sales were strong, Women’s Day continues to grow, SAF reports strong sales overall for the year so far and a healthy amount of optimism for 2018. As Mother’s Day and the rest of the spring holidays approach, floral professionals are engrossed in plans and preparations for increasing holiday sales. And there’s an attitude of never resting on past accomplishments and victories because there is always... Read more

Alexandra Farms in Bogota, Colombia, announced several new changes this year. The grower has introduced five new rose varieties for the 2018 wedding season — Golden Mustard, Princess Maya (Night Rain), Princess Suki (Loved One), Sabrina and Tiara. Princess Maya (Night Rain) is a new addition to the Princess Japanese Garden Rose collection. Also, Alexandra Farms’ shipments to the United States are now in new packaging — boxes, sleeves and variety labels — that feature... Read more

The American Floral Endowment is now accepting applications for 2018 educational grants, according to a news release. Educational grants help fund programs that are wide-reaching educational endeavors that solve industry needs and challenges and focus on attracting young people to the industry. Last year the Endowment funded nearly $40,000 in educational grants. Examples of programs funded through AFE educational grants include: • e-GRO Alert and Webinars — an... Read more